E A R L Y C H I L D H O O D

Growing Up Strong

Relationships: How we care for each other matters!

For a young child, school should be like home. Safety, emotional warmth, encouragement and a sense of belonging are the hallmarks of an Early Childhood program that cares for your child the way that you would. The Waldorf Early Childhood programs offer a sensory-rich, home-like setting with an 8:1 student to teacher ratio. Teachers cultivate a nurturing environment that fosters play, exploration, social harmony and self-care skills. A strong partnership between teachers and parents eases the transition from home to school, allowing each child to flourish.

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EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

No time for worksheets— we’re busy!

Play is essential. Young children play to learn about the world, about themselves and about each other. The Waldorf Early Childhood programs devote time and space for child-centered play that supports the cognitive, physical, social and emotional well-being of young children.

Child initiated play is the best remedy for the structured, busy, screen-oriented world children are growing up in. The Waldorf School is committed to fostering the joys of movement, discovery, unlimited imagination, self-confidence and creativity in the Early Childhood years....in every season and all kinds of weather.

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ART AND MUSIC INTEGRATION

Learning through movement and the senses…

Storytelling, songs, rhymes and movement are a part of every morning circle. Rich language and imagery lead children from hearty play to a quiet place in their own imaginations. Music connects the flow of the morning—from play to clean-up, circle time to rest time, snack to play once more. The circling year and change of seasons are noticed and celebrated for the wonder they bring to the young child—both outdoors and in classroom crafts. Honey-scented beeswax to model, warm wool to felt and stitch, wood to sand and polish, brilliant water-colors to paint with—all provide a young child with nurturing sensory experiences and growing dexterity.

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PREPARATION

What if the edge we gave our children was physical and emotional well-being?

Waldorf early childhood programs are committed to the preservation of childhood. Academic teaching begins in the First Grade, but pre-academic learning abounds throughout the early childhood years. A whole-child view of First Grade readiness includes the development of:

A strong attention span and listening skills

Balance, coordination, dexterity

Curiosity about the world—the beginning of scientific inquiry

Rich foundations for literacy and numeracy, grounded in direct experience

Skills for collaborating and harmonizing with others

Laying the groundwork for self-reliance

COME VISIT OUR ONE-OF-A-KIND EARLY CHILDHOOD CAMPUSES!

Early Childhood Center Campus, 212 Lake Avenue

Our Early Childhood Center is located a short walk from our Lower School and across from Eastside Recreational Park. Children experience intimate and nurturing classrooms, a magical play yard with flower gardens and daily walks within a friendly neighborhood setting.

Forest Kindergarten Campus, 45 Kaydeross Avenue West

Located on Spa State Park land, the Forest Kindergarten features numerous forested hiking trails and ample yard space for climbing, gardening, digging, playing, and working. A restored farmhouse provides a nurturing indoor space and respite from extreme weather.

“In today’s world children and young adults are faced with so many outlining stressors. I did not want school to be one of those for my children. I wanted them to enjoy going to school. I wanted it to be a safe place for them to learn, and grow— where music, movement, and the arts were integral, and smiles, laughter, and happiness succeeded standards and testing. Waldorf School of Saratoga Springs does this and more”.

PROGRAMS

“Every child begins the world again, to some extent, and loves to stay outdoors, even in wet and cold. It plays house, as well as horse, having an instinct for it...At last we know not what it is to live in the open air, and our lives are domestic in more senses than we think.”